


Peace And Purpose

by Meskeet



Series: h/c bingo fills 2017 [7]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Everyone Needs A Hug, Families of Choice, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Illnesses, In Memory of Carrie Fisher, Leia Is The Best Space Mom, Leia Organa-centric, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-27
Updated: 2017-12-27
Packaged: 2019-02-22 16:37:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13170894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meskeet/pseuds/Meskeet
Summary: Leia looks after her own, because even the Resistance needs sick days.





	Peace And Purpose

**Author's Note:**

> just... everyone needs to understand that Leia is the best space mom in existence.
> 
> Today marks a year since Carrie Fisher died, and we still didn't deserve her. Here's my small fic to mark the anniversary.

It was highly typical that the Resistance could take out a First Order base, two manufacturing facilities and arrive back at the base without even a scratch, only to bring back a virus native to the base’s planet that wiped out half of the commanding officers within a twenty-four hour period. Once the first wave had begun to recover, it seemed as though everyone else was laid flat as well. It was _also_ typical of the Resistance fighters to be entirely at ease with death defying missions, only to turn into a basket of children at a bit of a chill and a few sniffles.

Or perhaps that last bit was the Millennium Falcon’s influence. Force knew Chewie still acted like a cold was the end of days and _he_ was old enough to know better.

Leia nodded to the bored medic guarding the cabin as she swept by. He didn’t quite snap to attention, although it looked like a near thing, and she suspected that he would be calling for backup before he tried to extract her. In front of her, the doors opened with a pleasantly low hiss – being the Falcon, she would have expected a loud rattle or clang, though that may have just been the influence of memory that started with _c’mon Leia, I bet we won’t even wake Luke_.

She was curiously reluctant to intrude past the threshold, for all that Leia knew her steps were nearly silent. The room was warmer than anticipated – around two degrees higher than they normally maintained the interior of the Falcon. The lights must have been manually turned off, for the room remained dimly lit as she carefully picked her way around the sleeping men and women.

In total, nine Resistance members were sprawled out in front of her, totaling just shy of a third of the active rebels at her command. The First Order would be pleased to know that Resistance membership apparently didn’t come with a totally up-to-date vaccination protocol.

It was an impressive feature of mathematics and engineering that they even managed to fit everyone in the berth, Leia thought as she navigated around a pallet where Lieutenant Connix’s blonde hair peeked out from the mound of blankets. Her feet carried her on autopilot, stopping beside one rebel she was rather surprised to see. He was set apart from most of the room, nestled in the corner with a book in one hand and a small light in the other.

“Finn,” she said. Maybe the warmth in her voice surprised him – he glanced away from the book on binary he was reading and steady eye contact with her, the light in his hand flickering off. Beside him, Rey sat upright against the wall – but her body was nestled sideways, resting against Finn. She didn’t even twitch at Leia’s voice.

“General,” he said, evenly. “I would get up, but-”

Leia smiled, stopping beside him and holding up her thermos in a salute. She kept her voice low, but the rest of the sleeping patients seem dead to the world. “I thought if anyone avoided illness, it would be you,” she said. Surely the First Order immunized their Stormtroopers.

He confirmed her suspicions. “I should be immune, but… it didn’t seem right leaving them alone.”

Leia rested her hand on BB-8’s head. The droid was powered off, but now that her eyes were adjusting to the gloom, it wasn’t surprising to see that Poe had curled up on his side, back to the droid. Leia sank to the ground between BB-8 and Rey with a slight groan, knowing that her body wouldn’t be all too happy to stand up when this was all said and done. Still, BB-8 provided a good foundation to lean on and Leia didn’t believe either Poe or the droid would mind.

Finn yawned, and Leia held up her thermos. “Caf?”

He shook his head. “I haven’t developed a taste for it.”

It made sense. After a lifetime of stimulants the First Order likely administered without asking his opinion on, Finn might be tired of the whole notion. Leia poured out a cup for herself and sipped at it.

“Go to sleep, Finn.” It came across as more of an order than she intended. Finn didn’t seem perturbed, flashing her a smile. Slowly his breaths evened out, almost managing to match Rey breath by breath.

With Finn asleep, it felt safe to sigh as she looked out over the room. _One-third of the Resistance,_ she thought, a little bitterly. All that survived to… do what? To keep running? To become nothing more than a fairytale told to the First Order’s children?

Or a myth, perhaps, whispered from star to star. A prayer, like Luke’s name had become.

Her frown deepened, and she checked the room once more before she let her the side of her head rest against BB-8’s chassis. Leia sighed. Thirty-two left of the best men and women she had ever known.  They had fought, and _would_ fight, and Force only knew how many would be left at the end of all this. Unless they were lucky, their only reward would be execution by the First Order.

The galaxy – and Leia, above all – would never begin to be able to repay any of them.

In front of BB-8, Poe muttered something in his sleep and rolled over. When he exhaled, it was as a wet, gurgling cough. When he stilled, Leia reached over and adjusted the blanket to cover his exposed shoulder. She let her hand rest there for a moment, felt his chest rise and sink in time with the rattle of his chest.

Rey shifted a little, then, her foot sliding loose from where she had tucked it under her body and nudging against Poe. Leia smiled and set down her thermos. She brushed away a strand of hair that had fallen loose from Rey’s snarled braid, fingertips lingering on her warm forehead.

The Jedi’s eyes opened slowly and Leia smiled, feeling the question in the Force. She carefully undid the tie on Rey’s hair, fingers sliding to work the loops free. Leia untangled the last knot and starts at Rey’s scalp, gently braiding the side she can see.

“Just me,” she promised softly, meeting Rey’s dark eyes. Rey hummed, a bit of a rasp at the edge of the noise. The mental query relaxed but did not withdraw, drifting back into contentment in the Force. Leia didn’t push her away, letting the bond linger in the room between them. She wondered, distantly, if she felt like Luke.

“Leia,” Rey confirmed, sleepily, and sank back against Finn. Her foot didn’t move from where it rested against Poe’s leg.

Leia closed her eyes. She could almost imagine Luke and Han and Ben and Chewie with her in the cabin of the Falcon, the Force quiet with the weight of their presence. She tied off Rey’s braid, let the silky strands slip from her fingers to rest on Rey’s shoulder once more.

Rey reached out blindly, but with purpose. Leia allowed her to catch her fingers, ignoring the slight sweat of Rey’s palm against hers. It wouldn’t hurt to rest here and indulge herself for a while. With the majority of the Resistance ill or recovering, she wouldn't be missed. 

For the first time in years, the Falcon felt like home.

**Author's Note:**

> CarrieOnForever, everyone.


End file.
